CONTEST File

What are CONTEST files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CONTEST file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your CONTEST files.

What is a CONTEST file?

A .CONTEST file is a BAMZOOKi Contest file.

BAMZOOKi Contest files store definitions of challenges for the BAMZOOKi Zook toolkit, the system that lets users design virtual creatures ("zooks") and enter them into contests. They contain all the rules, target settings, obstacle or finish criteria, and event triggers that define how a particular contest or challenge behaves in the simulation environment.

Built by the same system that produces the BAMZOOKi Zook-Kit software, a Contest file is loaded when a contest is run or submitted so that the simulation knows what performance goals, physical restrictions, time limits, agents, and environmental parameters apply. The user or host need not manually configure each contest; everything needed to run the specific challenge is encoded in the file.

Contest files are stored in plain text (often XML or similar tag-structured format) and include keywords such as AGENTS, MOVEACCEL, MOVEPHASE, VERSION, VISIBLE, TARGET, SHAPE, SOLID, ROTATION, PARAMETERS of the physical model, and event controls like TRIGGERONEVENTS, DESTROYONEVENTS, etc. One signature appears at offset zero: the ASCII string "behaviours"-equals beginning (\"behaviours\" =), which helps confirm the file as a BAMZOOKi Contest file.

How to open CONTEST files

Important: Different programs may use files with the CONTEST file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your CONTEST file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

We have not yet verified any programs for Windows that work with this specific file format. If you know one, please use the 'Suggest a program' link below. Thanks!

Last updated: September 2, 2026

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